Dorothy Rider Pool, established The Rider-Pool Foundation as a private, general-purpose foundation and upon her death in 1967, Dorothy Rider Pool left her estate as the principal source of funding the Foundation.

The late Leonard Parker Pool — and subsequently the named Trustees of the Foundation — carried forth Dorothy Rider Pool’s wishes via the Foundation, being particularly sensitive to her interests in education, disadvantaged children and the development of future leadership in our society when disbursing funds. Since the Pools resided in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the particular geographic interest of the Foundation lies within the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania.